Omega
by FolkFanatic
Summary: Neal, an omega dire wolf, is on the adventure of a lifetime after he is snatched by poachers. Alternate universe/reality with White Collar concepts and characters. Rated to be safe.
1. Prologue

_Omega_

Rating: 16+

Pairings: Neal/Kate, Peter/Elizabeth – nothing graphic

Warnings: OOC, AU/AR, violence, language, some mildly graphic torture scenes

Disclaimer: I do not own White Collar or anything associated with it. I do not own the term "Dire Wolf". If I owned anything of value then I wouldn't be living with my folks trying to save up every single penny I come across.

Summary: Neal, an omega dire wolf, is on the adventure of a lifetime after he is snatched by poachers. Alternate universe/reality with White Collar concepts and characters.

_Notes: _

The Dire Wolf is a real animal, though not represented accurately here - I'm just using the name because it fits and it sounds cool.

Events from White Collar do happen, but they may be out of order or otherwise changed around.

I may have invoked my right to use my artistic license when it comes to wolves, wolf behavior, pack terminology and roles, legal stuff, medical stuff, etc.

I wrote this thing twice. Two different versions. I chose this version (the second) because I liked it better. The free write was over 40 pages and 20,000 words, unedited.

I will not set an actual goal for the chapters on this story, but I aim to keep each chapter (following the prologue) over 4 pages!

The prologue is a lot of background stuff – not a lot of serious action.

Expect a chapter a week – I have most of this thing written out, just have to bulk up the final couple of chapters and take some time to re-read and proof the others. I also have, oh, real life to contend with!

Man, the introduction took up a full page in itself. I really need to stop rambling!

Oh, one last thing….

Big THANK YOU to my beta reader, Logan'sDrover!

O~O~O  
><em>Prologue<em>  
>Words: 1,384<br>Pages: 3.25  
>O~O~O<p>

Kate was gone, and not in the _out-for-food-I'll-be-back-later_ sense of the term. Her scent was old and faded, even missing in some key areas - such as around the stream and other water sources inside pack territory - and she wasn't returning his mournful calls. None of the wolves from neighboring packs had seen her in the past few weeks, either.

And she wasn't the only wolf missing from the pack – just last week one of the hunting party didn't show in time for a hunt, the month before that a young pup was taken from one of the dens on the outskirts of the territory, and at the beginning of the year two youngsters never returned from a swim in the nearby river.

But it wasn't as if his pack, one of a handful hailing from the southwest, was the only one missing some of its members. Other packs gradually began to send word: one or two missing here, a handful there. North, south, east, west, and everywhere in between – no territory was left untouched, it seemed.

While it wasn't uncommon to occasionally lose a pack member – often times to death or the call of forming their own pack - there were just too many going missing at one time. The ages didn't line up, either. One was too old to lead a pack of his own, one was too young. They were all in perfect health - not stricken by disease or injury – and remains where never found. It was beginning to look as though wolves where being taken forcibly.

Which was why Neal found himself planted firmly outside the mouth of a cave, hundreds of miles from familiar pack territory, scanning the surrounding woodlands for any sign of danger. Situated in other locations around the mouth of the cave, as well as deeper in the forest, were omega wolves from other packs. Hunters where scattered about as well, hidden from sight.  
>It was the job of the omegas to keep an eye out for humans, specifically for poachers, and it was up to the hunters to defend the caves from said poachers long enough for the wolves inside to use one of the many tunnel systems to escape to safety.<p>

The wolves meeting inside - among them his alpha - were meeting to determine what could be done about the poachers encroaching onto their territories. As dire wolves, their species had human-like intelligence and the ability to change into a human form – this made them perfect targets for poachers looking to earn a reputation and gain a trophy (dead or alive). It was also rumored that black market auctioneers also looked for dire wolves to sell as pets to the criminal public – Neal had heard that they were worth a small fortune.

As the result of overly enthusiastic hunting their species had almost gone extinct near a hundred years ago, this prompted early alphas into starting a riot that left thousands of humans dead. A truce was formed between the human government and the governing branches of the dire wolf population, and now it was illegal to hunt dire wolves unless it could be proven that the wolf in question was wild or rogue.

Wild wolves had keen intelligence but never shifted into human form, and where for all intents and purposes "wild." Many where so far gone from their human minds that they behaved like real wolves. So long as state laws permitted the hunting of wolves, wild dire wolves were on the menu.

Rogue wolves were simply criminals using their wolf-bodies for nefarious purposes, running and hiding from the law and usually traveling alone or in small groups. They were quite often violent and dangerous. If it could be proven that a wolf was rogue, it could be hunted and imprisoned – at the mercy of the hunter who caught it. Laws did not protect them, unless they were captured by the law itself. Many rogue wolves on the run would purposely turn themselves in to prevent a hunter from getting a hold of them for that very reason.

It was far more complicated than that, of course. There where by-laws, a ton of small print, and so forth. There where entire branches in the human and wolf populations that where dedicated to studying these laws so as to help wolves that had been captured, legally or otherwise.

Neal, at one time, had been a rogue wolf – that's how he knew the basics of wolf law. As a youngster, he had been separated from his father during a raid. Another omega took him in and taught him how to survive in the big city. Eventually, an FBI agent got too close to catching him and Neal had fled. Upon reaching the southwest he met up with his alpha, and was accepted into the pack. Kate, the alphas daughter, chose him as her mate and he vowed to leave his life of crime behind.

"_Neal."_ Neal glanced up, startled from his thoughts, ears perked slightly as a small brown wolf shuffled over to touch noses in greeting.

"_Mozzie. I'm glad to see you."_ Neal greeted the other omega, and his partner-in-crime. _"Any news on Kate? Or any of the other missing wolves?"_

"_None. It's like they just vanished – poof! – without a trace. I tracked Kate's scent into our territory and Alex admits to seeing her a few weeks ago, but nothing after that. Her scent just dries up at the east end of our territory and I couldn't pick up the pup or the other one past the border."_ Neal nodded and slumped dejectedly.

Mozzie was one of the best trackers in the West – if he couldn't find Kate, then she wasn't in the immediate area. _"She would never leave the Pack without me."_ Neal noted. _"And I don't see Caleb, those youngsters, or the pup leaving either."_ He added.

"_I didn't pick up any human scents, though. And that worries me." _Mozzie revealed. _"If humans are behind this and they can mask their scents like that, then we're in big trouble."_ Neal nodded in agreement. A twig snapped nearby and both wolves turned to study the area. After a while nothing else moved, and they couldn't detect any strange scents, so they returned to their conversation.

"_I think we – or rather the Pack negotiators – need to talk to the human governments again."_ Neal revealed. _"Poaching isn't uncommon, per say, but it has risen recently. And innocent wolves are being taken, now."_ Mozzie nodded his head in agreement. _"I think I need to try and find her, Moz."_ Neal eventually said, turning to stare out into the woods.

"_Neal, you're not lone wolf material."_ Mozzie said gently. _"You've been with a pack for too long now – and besides, humans will think you're rogue. Again."_ Neal lowered his head. The one time he had ventured on his own near a human town after joining the pack, he had been mistaken as rogue. Not really an unfounded idea - as most lone wolves WHERE rogue wolves – but he had still almost been shot. He hadn't strayed far from his pack since then.

"_She's an omega, so the pack isn't concerned about finding her." _Neal finally said. _"They're more focused on the pup and hunter – which I can't really fault them for. They're also more concerned with the bigger picture."_ Neal huffed in agitation and indecision. He wanted to get up and pace - he always thought well when he moved - but he wouldn't abandon his post.

"_Let's wait and see what the packs decide."_ Mozzie finally reasoned. _"And if we don't like the decision we'll go after Kate ourselves."_ Neal could say nothing; he just gazed at his friend with gratitude. The moment, however, was broken by the arrival of one of the younger hunters from an east-coast pack. Neal and Mozzie abandoned their conversation to join the ring of wolves now surrounding the newcomer.

They pushed their way through to hear the hunter speak. _"There's a trailer with horses and humans about ten miles to the north."_ The wolf panted. _"They didn't see me, but I got a good enough look at them." _Teeth where bared as he spoke. "_Cowboys."_

Cowboys – the day just went from pretty bad to outright shitty.

TBC


	2. Chapter 1

O~O~O  
><em>Chapter One<em>  
>Words: 2,795<br>Pages: 5  
>O~O~O<p>

Cowboys, Neal grimaced in distaste. There were mirroring grimaces from the other wolves present. A lot of the cowboys in the west where just as ambitious as the hunters in the east and south, only they used horses to chase down their game and refused to lump themselves in with the hunter crowd.

"_We have to tell the Alphas."_ Neal said without hesitation. One wolf spun on her heel and was gone in the blink of an eye, disappearing into the mouth of the cave system. _"How many were there?"_ Neal asked the young hunter.

"_There were three horses, so I'm guessing at least three Cowboys, and two Native Americans."_ The wolf promptly answered. The pack hunters, who had been hanging back silently, finally spoke up.

"_Two of us will take an omega and keep an eye on these humans." _Neal recognized the speaker as David, one his pack. _"If they move closer to the caves or if they act in a suspicious manner then we'll send the omegas back to warn you and we'll engage them."_ Neal grimaced at the thought of 'engaging' anything in a battle: he was strictly non-violent, thank you very much. _"… and Neal will be going with me."_ Neal glanced up.

"_Good luck."_ Mozzie whispered as Neal took his place beside the hunter. They were silent as they tracked the younger wolf's scent back to where he had seen the humans, and sure enough there was a horse trailer parked in the middle of a tiny campground. Two Native Americans were tending a small fire, and Neal could smell horses.

"_Where are the cowboys?"_ Neal wondered out loud. Neither the cowboys nor the horses were in sight. It made him nervous, but he stuck near David as the older wolf scanned the area with his keen eyes.

"_Felice is on their trail."_ He must have been talking about the other non-pack hunter. _"Their scent goes in that direction."_ David pointed with his nose and Neal was glad to see that it was pointing away from the cave. _"Stay here and keep an eye out."_ David slipped into the brush and was gone, so Neal hunkered down to where he could watch the campground and keep an ear on the rest of the forest but still not be seen.

It wasn't long before a snapping twig had him turning his head, only to stare directly at a human wielding a rifle and a long stretch of rope. Neal's eyes went wide in fear as the barrel of the rifle swung right at him. How the hell did he miss this human sneaking up on him?

"_Neal, run!"_ Then David was there, careening into the human and knocking the rifle out of his grasp. Neal watched for a second in muted horror as David clamped onto the human's arm and growled. Then he silently thanked the other wolf and took the moment to flee, leaving the sounds of battle behind him.

He rushed back towards the cave, only to bump into Mozzie before he could get there. _"Neal, what's going on?"_ The other wolf asked as they picked themselves up. Neal didn't take the time to question why Mozzie was so far from the caves, instead just said hurriedly: _"They know we're here! David had to attack one so I could run – you need to run to the packs and tell them to get out."_

"_I was coming to tell you that they've already decided to move."_ Mozzie said. Neal sighed in relief, but then turned serious.

"_The humans knew how to mask their scent – one snuck right up beside me without me even knowing."_ Neal bemoaned. Mozzie's eyes widened. But not because of what Neal had said – it was because of the human Neal could see reflected in his friend's eyes. _"Mozzie, run! Warn the packs! Go!"_ Without a second thought Neal whirled around to face the human – not the same one David had attacked – and showed his teeth.

"Here!" The human shouted, alerting his companions. He didn't have a rifle, but Neal could see him swinging a rope back and forth and there was a pistol tucked in an old holster by his hip. Neal knew he had to act quickly before any of the other humans arrived. He launched himself at the human with a growl that he admitted was probably exaggerated. The human fell under his weight with a grunt and Neal kicked loose the man's pistol. "Dammit!" Neal could hear the man cursing even as he turned tail and ran back towards the trailer.

He ducked through the trees and bushes like a pro until he reached the trailer. He could smell David and a lot of blood somewhere nearby, so he wrinkled his nose as he snuck around the vehicles. He stopped for a breather when he noticed the Native Americans. Both were watching him curiously, on young and one old, but he had no time to stop to chat. He heard the hoots and hollers of the cowboys and took off in the opposite direction of Mozzie and the packs. He didn't come across either of the pack hunters or the other omega, which worried him as surely if they were still there they would be helping him.

Every so often he would stop and let the humans catch up to him, let them feel as though they were gaining on him to keep them interested, before taking off into the brush once again. Eventually he figured it was time for him to disappear – he had given Mozzie enough time to reach the packs and the packs had more than enough time to get away from the caves. Hopeful enough time to get out of the area entirely. He quickly found a small cave and went to tuck himself inside, only to stop in sheer surprise as three pairs of squinty eyes stared at him.

Wolf cubs. Real ones, not Dire. He couldn't hide here and he couldn't let the cowboys find them. He gave each cub a small lick on the nose to reassure them and then headed out of the small cave. He couldn't smell any fresh human scents, but that apparently meant nothing. He backtracked the way he came and then headed off in another direction to hopefully lead them away from the cubs.

Several times he ducked back to start in another direction, and he had yet to come across the cowboys. He didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing and he still didn't know if David and the other wolves had gotten away. Unable to simply turn his back and run when there was a possibility of one of his pack being in danger, Neal headed back towards the trailer where he had last seen David.

When he finally made it, he noticed immediately that the horses were there and tied up. Two of the three cowboys where at the fire, tending wounds, while the Native Americans brushed out their mounts. Neal followed David's scent around and away from the camp only to find the wolf tethered not far away in a clearing.

"_No, go back Neal."_ The other wolf was weak, but able to stagger to his feet. _"It's a trap."_ Neal took note of the dozing cowboy and snorted. Not much of a trap, he thought, and slunk out from the bushes to study the tether. _"Run."_

"_The pack needs you more than it needs me."_ Neal said firmly. He set to chewing through the rope tether. _"There are other omegas…. Not so many other hunters."_

"_You know that's not true."_ The hunter finally said sadly. The rope snapped and David was free. Unfortunately, the snapping sound was loud enough to wake the dozing cowboy.

"_Go!"_ Neal urged. The cowboy finally realized what was happening and shot up with a shout to his companions. David disappeared into the brush, too injured to help Neal, but Neal was okay with his decision. He had to be – there was no turning back now.

Neal could imagine the other cowboys gearing up so he quickly lunged at the one in front of him, jaw gaping. His teeth closed around the barrel of the rifle and he grunted, grimacing at the taste of the metal. The human staggered but didn't fall even as 200+ pounds of wolf slammed into him. Neal felt the metal of the gun buckle between his jaws, but the human wouldn't let go.

"Holy shit!" Neal glanced to see that the other cowboys had finally arrived, even as he let his upper body fall to the floor, effectively pulling the man forward as they grappled with the gun. There was a click.

"Don't shoot it, you fool!" Neal felt the gun finally bend, thus becoming useless, and let go. There was a crack and the dirt by his paws exploded, so he turned tail and ran. "What the fuck! Don't just stand there, go after it!" Neal could hear the humans run clumsily after him.

Unfortunately, even though he probably could have gotten away from them if given the chance, he didn't know the territory well and wound up cornered in a small ravine. He was so stunned at his gaffe that he didn't even start trying to climb up until the humans had caught up. By the time he was halfway up they were only a few feet from him, and the walls where too steep for him to climb quick enough to escape.

Before long he heard a whistling noise and a noose settled around his neck. He froze, contemplating his options. He could try to keep climbing and risk being pulled down to land in a painful position or he could turn and jump, hoping that the humans wouldn't expect it and startle them enough he could escape.

He chose the latter option and sure enough, the humans where stunned when he dropped almost directly on top of them. Unfortunately they weren't stunned enough and the man he had played tug-of-war with for the gun managed to ready another lasso and he was looped before he could get too far.

Now, with two nooses around his neck, Neal just sighed dejectedly and let his head droop in defeat. There weren't any other wolves around to help him out and he couldn't chew through the ropes fast enough for an escape. The cowboys had positioned themselves so that he was suspended between them, so he couldn't even lunge in this position. He knew when he was beat, but that didn't mean he had to like it. Or cooperate.

He dragged his paws, pulled, bucked, and twisted as they dragged him through the woods back to their trailer. At one point he sat down – no human could move an immobile Dire Wolf without serious help - but leapt to his feet with an indignant yelp as the third cowboy prodded at his backside with a sharp stick.

By the time they made it back to the trailer Neal was smug to see that the cowboys had worked up a sweat. He, however, wasn't in much better shape: he was exhausted and covered in dirt. They came to a stop by the trailer. "You're strangling him." Neal glanced up as the elder Native American spoke. "You can give him some slack, he isn't some wild animal."

"He attacked us." The third cowboy growled as he disappeared into the trailer.

"Let me guess, this was after you chased him down with rifles and ropes and cornered him somewhere?" Neal snickered to himself as the cowboys holding the ropes seemed to blush. The nooses around his neck loosened, allowing him to breathe easier.

"Get him in here and caged before we lose him." Neal dragged his paws as he was pulled to the trailer. However once at the opening the cowboys paused: they would have to get close to him – close enough for him to bite them – if they wanted to drag him in. "Well?"

"I will put him inside." The elder said softly. Before the cowboys could comment he had sidled up beside them and used an old knife to cut one of the ropes away. The other he shortened into a leash and Neal obediently followed him into the trailer. He whined as he walked into the iron cage – closed on all sides but the front – but made no further protest.

"How the fuck did you do that?" One of the cowboys asked.

"It would have been much harder on you, my friend, to suffer through anything they would have tried." The elder said softly to Neal. Neal bowed his head in agreement and the elder turned to the cowboy. "I respected. I asked." The one cowboy scoffed.

"Pack it up so we can get out of here." Neal lay down as the group started to pack up. The Native Americans did most of the work, before they loaded the horses and settled in the back with Neal. The doors were closed and locked. When the truck in front rumbled to life the elder shuffled forward to shove handfuls of hay into the crate. Neal got to his tired paws and began to shuffle the hay around until it resembled a nest.

"You are a very brave omega." The elder said with a smile, leaning against the cage. "I am sorry it has come to this." Neal changed into his human form and smiled weakly.

"Thank you. For not letting them put their hands on me." The younger of the two let out a little squeak of surprise, but the elder just nodded. "Why are you traveling with them?" Neal asked curiously.

"We have no choice." Was what the elder replied. "I have never heard of a dire wolf pack in the area, so you must be far from home." He said instead. Neal nodded slowly. "If there is anything we can do to help you, let me know."

"Thank you." Neal said softly. Then he considered. "My pack was here because of the recent uprising of poachers – we come from more to the south. Five members of our pack – including my mate – have been taken." The elder made a disappointed noise. "I made sure my pack got away, but now I need to escape so I can make the best of our separation."

"You intend to search for your mate – and maybe even the rest of your missing pack." Neal nodded. "I'm afraid you won't get much of a chance now that they have you. My guess is we won't stop until we reach a place where they can sell you." Neal grimaced. "The closest place I can imagine is a few days drive without stopping but to fuel up and check the horses."

"I'm afraid that they have the key." The boy piped up, motioning to the lock on the cage. Neal was easily able to fit his hands through the bars, but it did no good – he had nothing with which to pick the lock. Whatever magic allowed the change did not allow for clothes or objects to be changed as well.

The small group fell silent after that, Neal hunkering down to rest and recover his strength for the off chance that he would be able to attempt an escape. The sun went down not long after and the truck rumbled to a stop. Neal quickly changed back into his wolf form and some bottled water was shoved into the trailer through the grates in the side.

"Tend the horses; we'll be ready to move again in an hour." The Native Americans were quick to feed and water the horses inside the trailer before moving back to their spot by Neal. The elder was nice enough to offer Neal water in his hand and Neal lapped it up slowly until a full bottle was finished.

They fell into a routine the next three days of travel. The sun would come up and they would get food and water to share, the horses would be tended to, then nothing but driving along. They would get some food at about noon; the horses were allowed to stretch their legs, and then more driving. Dinner and water before sundown tend the horses, then a few hours for the cowboys to take turns sleeping or keeping watch.

Not once during their travel did the cowboys unlock the cage, even to clean it out. Neal tried to sleep and sit away from his mess but the cage wasn't quite big enough and his hindquarters where soon caked in straw, urine, and feces. It was disgusting and completely undignified, but Neal had no other alternative.

It was going to be a long few days.

TBC


	3. Chapter 2

O~O~O

Chapter Two

Words: 2,513

Pages: 5.5

Note: Some torture scenes, nothing too graphic or horrible but thought I would give you all a heads up.

O~O~O

By the time the odd group reached their destination at the end of day three – or was it day four? - Neal was close to retching. Between the horses and the cage, the smell was overpowering. It didn't help that he hadn't had anything substantial to eat in that time, either.

It was distracting enough that he didn't realize right away when they pulled off the main road and onto a bumpy dirt driveway. When he finally did notice that they had stopped, he glanced up in expectation of some water or maybe a scrap of meat. Instead, he got a light shining in his eyes.

"He's a big'un." A new voice said clearly. Neal squinted and blinked into the light until it moved away to reveal a bulky shadow.

"Well, get in there and get him out!" Another voice said loudly. Neal's new friends where pushed to one side as a burly man entered the trailer through a door he hadn't noticed before. The man was carrying a long, thick, sturdy looking stick. A noose dangled from the end and Neal had a really bad feeling about this.

"I will lead him inside." The elder tried to say, only to be pushed back by the brute.

"Stand back, half-breed." Neal snarled even as a cowboy handed a key to this brute. The cage was unlocked but Neal didn't move, knowing that there were probably more people outside along with God knows what else - now wasn't a good time to attempt an escape.

"Get him out of there, what are you waiting for?" The door swung open and the noose was thrust inside. It settled over his head and tightened almost painfully around his neck. Neal let the brute lead him out into the open, shooting one last parting glance to his new friends as he moved. The trailer door was swung shut and locked. "He stinks."

"Well we weren't going to take him out and bathe him." One cowboy snapped. Neal studied the surrounding area keenly – he noted the small ranch style house off to the left, and the large barn several feet from his right. There were paddocks filled with horses, and a couple of men standing about. The property was surrounded by forest.

While the men haggled – probably over price – Neal experimentally tugged at the noose. The brute didn't budge. He twisted his head and mouthed at the pole – it was sturdy and solid, probably iron or metal. He bit down a little harder and then yelped as an electrical pulse shot through his teeth and into his gums.

"Try it again and I'll zap you so hard you won't be able to walk for a month." Brute – Neal decided he would call this as of yet nameless man Brute - threatened. Neal pinned his ears unhappily but didn't try to mouth at the pole again. Finally the cowboys where settled on a price and without another glance got into their truck and pulled away from the ranch. The man who had just bought him turned to face him, and Neal almost collapsed in shock.

The man's bright blue eyes screamed wolf, but he had no lupine scent that Neal could determine. This meant he either had his eyes surgically altered to get that lupine appearance or he had just enough wolf blood in him to inherit the eyes. Either thought was disturbing.

"He is an omega." The man spoke. His voice was soft in tone, but there was a harshness to it that made Neal shiver.

"What does that mean again?" Brute asked.

"That means he has a weak nature and no urge to fight unless threatened – he will not be going in with the fighting wolves." Oh, God, Neal thought sickly. They're not just black market sellers; they're into dog/wolf fighting. "He will be sold as a guard animal as that is what Omega wolves do beyond peacekeeping – they watch over and alert. Or maybe he will make someone a nice trophy pet." The blue eyes narrowed a bit and Neal couldn't find it in himself to meet them.

"Oh." Brute said dumbly. Then without further comment Neal was dragged into the barn, past the horse stalls, and through a sliding door. Past rows of cages filled with snarling wolves and dogs and into another room, where it was quieter. There were two other wolves, neither of them pack he noted gratefully, and he was shoved into an empty cage between them.

"You will call the vet." Blue eyes said as soon as the door was secure. "Tell him we have another Dire Wolf for bugging and he is to come see to the animal in the morning." Brute nodded and left. Blue eyes finally turned to Neal again, and the man squatted in front of the cage. "After tomorrow you are no longer a free wolf. You will become docile and you will be sold to someone in need of a watch-wolf or trophy pet. You will not be able to change into your human form because you are not human – you are an animal, plain and simple."

The man stood up and retreated. Neal shook off the creepiness and turned to the other wolves. _"Where are you from?"_ He asked gently. The wolves didn't answer, just lowered their gazes and tucked their tails. That's when he saw the thick collars and their little black boxes. Unsure, Neal kept silent and managed to curl himself into a ball in the rear of the cage.

That night he slept very little. In the morning Brute returned to feed and water the other two wolves, but paid no attention to him. A door opened in the wolves' pen and they disappeared through it, leaving Brute alone to clean up the inside. Eventually the doors opened again, and stayed open this time, but Brute left only to be replaced with a man carrying a box.

Before Neal could even comprehend what was happening the man had pointed a small gun at him and pulled the trigger. A small dart hit his flank and he leapt up, only to wobble seconds later and eventually crash back down to the floor. The man picked up his box and entered the cage, but Neal found himself unable to move even as the man began hacking at the coat on the nape of his neck.

There was a sharp prick and then the area went numb. Neal could feel the man poking around up there but didn't know what was going on. Eventually the man splashed something on his neck and retreated. Not long later Neal was able to move around. He waited until the man left and then tried to change in order to feel the area in curiosity.

Only he didn't change. Instead, a pulse of electricity rocketed through his body and he found himself back on the floor, this time convulsing. When the convulsions finally stopped he just lay there, panting. Blue eyes appeared, smiling. "I told you, after today you won't be able to change into your human form." Neal curled his lips and growled.

The man merely laughed, and left.

Neal tried to transform several more times, hoping that the first time had been a fluke or a scare tactic. He was wrong – each time he tried he was sent to the floor by the force of the electrocution, and by the end of the day he gave up and just curled up in the corner.

Judging by the sun rising and setting, he was in the cage for two days before the man returned with a bucket of water and a slab of meat. Brute had been by to care for the other wolves, but didn't so much as look at Neal. Now Neal knew why – it was some sort of psychological tactic humans designed to gain the trust of wild animals. With a real wild animal it might have worked, but Neal knew better than to trust the hand that fed him.

For four days Neal ignored the man with the blue eyes. Dire Wolves could last a lot longer than most other animals without food or water and there was no way he was giving in to this man's psychological bullshit. But eventually he knew he had to do something other than lay there – he was weakening at an alarming rate and wouldn't be able to walk, let alone run, should he ever come across the opportunity for escape.

"Jake, are you really going to sit there are keep trying to feed that thing?" On the fifth day Neal finally learned the man's name – Jake. He also made the decision to play along with the man's game and slunk over to the bars, much to the surprise of Brute. "I'll be damned."

"Oh, he isn't by any means tame." Jake said even as Neal accepted a piece of the meat. "That will come far later." Eventually the meat was gone and Neal was allowed a couple of sips from the bucket of water. For the next few days Jake would come in and offer some food and water – enough so that he wasn't starving anymore, but not so much that would allow him to re-gain much of the weight or strength he had lost.

Neal had given up trying to talk to the other wolves by that point – it was clear that they either couldn't communicate or where too scared to try. He couldn't blame them – Jake wasn't a pleasant man. Eventually one was taken away, likely sold or to be sold.

About a week later, from what Neal could tell, Jake strode in with a thick collar, a leash, and a small bag strapped to his waist. The remaining wolf cringed away from him and disappeared outside through the small door. Neal tilted his head. "We're going for a walk." Jake said calmly as he opened the door. He slipped inside and closed it behind him.

Neal eyed the collar, noting that it was the same as the ones on the other wolves. Figuring it couldn't hurt to have it on; Neal approached Jake cautiously and allowed the man to buckle it. A leash was clipped to the single ring and then Neal found himself limping after Jake.

He allowed the man to lead him out of the barn, and he breathed the fresh air with a sigh. There was a light tug on the leash and he reluctantly followed after Jake. He was led to one of the paddocks where another man was standing, and Neal slowed down cautiously.

"Well, here he is." Jake said as they reached the paddock. Neal stood as far away from the pair as he could without choking himself. The newcomer was in a neatly pressed suit, and looked out of place on the ranch. He had a thick briefcase by his feet.

"He looks sick." Neal puffed up a bit in anger, though he knew he couldn't look – or smell – all that great after some time of being caged like a beast.

"He's in training. With these animals you can't show any weakness – and training is best done when they're too weak to put up much of a fight." Jake said, as if he knew what he was talking about. Neal rolled his eyes and before he knew it there was a sharp pain around his neck, and he yelped. "Like I said, he's in training."

"Will he be fully trained by the auction?" Neal froze, paying more attention to this man. "People like to see wolves, not… animals that display human qualities. No one wants to be reminded that their pet could be just as smart as they are."

"He will act like a domesticated wolf in time for the auction." Jake said smoothly. "My training program takes only one week from start to finish, which gives me two more weeks to bulk him up." And Neal tuned them out as they began to discuss pricing.

If he was going to try to escape, now would be the time. If he were sold at an auction who knew what would happen to him – he had heard absolute horror stories about these things. And he couldn't allow this man to "train" him or he had no doubt that he would become a broken mess.

The auctioneer left with a pleased expression on his face and Neal waited until he was gone before making his move. Grabbing the leash in his teeth he tugged, hard enough to rip it out of the Jake's hands. There was an outraged shout but he took the opportunity and bolted.

As shaky as he was, he could still run. And run he did, until he hit the edge of the property and went down like a stone. The collar around his neck hummed and sent jolts of electricity through his body, which set off the implant that triggered convulsions. By the time they stopped, his eyes where rolling and he was choking on the froth spilling from his mouth. His neck burned and his body shook. When Jake showed up he could barely bring himself to care, even as he was hefted up and into a pickup truck.

"Stupid animal. But then again, what should I expect?" For the next few days Neal could hardly lift his head. The collar was shifted, but not removed. When he was a little stronger he tried to scratch the collar off but it was too tightly buckled, and he gave up.

When Jake finally showed again, Neal obeyed his softly spoken command with his head low and his tail tucked. He was led back outside, where he glanced longingly at the forest surrounding the ranch before he turned to follow Jake to the paddock area.

For the next couple of weeks Neal submitted to this cruel man's idea of training. It was the only way to keep himself alive and his spirit intact. He forced himself to bury the behaviors deemed to be "too human" – facial expressions, noises, gestures. He basically decided that he wouldn't do anything that a dog wouldn't.

It was at that point he finally realized why the other wolves wouldn't speak to him – they had been beaten into silence. Communicating in their language consisted of making noises that where quite obviously a form of intelligent communication.

So even though it seriously burned his dignity, by the time he was due to be shipped for auction he was prancing around chasing after sticks and wagging his tail for cookies. He could sit on command, he stood to allow physical examinations, and he learned how to communicate with other wolves and dogs through body language alone.

Jake had the vet out one last time to poke him with needles and scribble a signature – probably an alias – on some papers. Then the papers where sealed in a mailing envelope and probably shipped off. Neal was left alone the final few weeks to rest and regain his strength.

He was going to need it.

TBC

Please note that the use of static shock collars in this fic is improper – meaning it isn't being used right. Proper use of an e-collar for training a dog does not leave the dog in convulsions! This is a useful tool when used right, a damaging tool when used poorly.

I apologize for the late posting! Vacation plus illness sort of held my attention for a bit. Next chapter will be up in another week or so!


	4. Chapter 3

O~O~O

Chapter Three

Words: 3,157

Pages: 6

O~O~O

Jake increased his feedings, cut down on the 'training sessions', and Neal slowly regained most of his weight back. But he was left weakened and less muscular than he had been due to lack of proper exercise. Being unable to brush up against bushes and trees to remove shedding fur from his coat, it clung to him in bunches and stunk. He had to look hideous.

The day he was to be flown to the auctioneer, he was hosed down and the big clumps of fur where brushed away. He was loaded into a solid airport approved carrier, driven to the airport, and once there and checked in Jake shoved a pill down his throat before he was wheeled away.

He drifted off as he was settled into the cargo hold area and he spent the flight in a blissful fog. By the time he was unloaded the pill had worn off and now that he was away from Jake's oppressive energy he felt comfortable enough to look around curiously.

He was kept in a general holding compartment, and people would stare at him when they walked by. He could hear muted conversation and hoped that someone would question his presence there. But no one did – apparently they either didn't know what he was or they figured that if he was there, he was legal.

He was collected by a quiet man, who shot him a look before resolutely ignoring him as he was loaded onto a pickup truck. Another cage was plopped next to his but the scent was of a wolf, not a Dire wolf. The silence from the kennel suggested that the wolf was asleep, so Neal kept silent too as they were driven to an abandoned warehouse.

The wolf was taken in first. Then the driver came and opened up his kennel. A lead was attached to the now customary black collar and Neal quietly hopped out. He automatically moved to the heel position Jake had drilled into him and followed the man into the warehouse.

There weren't as many wolves here as there where at Jake's ranch. Maybe about a dozen or so, and that was at first glance. They were all quiet so Neal figured none of them where fighters. Hopefully that meant the auction goers wouldn't be into the sport and he wouldn't be sold as one – or worse.

He was led to an empty cage and went inside willingly. There was a bowl of water filled to the brim, so Neal took a few laps to ease his dry throat. A card was hung from the front of his cage and he was left alone to curl up on the clean straw.

Over the next few days it became clear that this place, even though illegal in its own right, was nothing like Jake's ranch. For one, it was quiet other than the occasional conversation between the hired help. There weren't any shouted orders or regular sounds of ranch life. For another, the humans weren't outright abusive towards the wolves – Dire or other. In fact, most of them where pleasant and did their best to care properly for the wolves.

Mid-week a vet came in and Neal submitted to some poking, prodding, and needles so the vet could declare him healthy and sound. Not long later someone else came in and he submitted to even more poking and prodding, before he was taken for a walk in the town – which he found strange and a bit risky for this auction house. But no one seemed to pay them any mind, and eventually he learned that the "poking and prodding" was supposed to be some form of "temperament evaluation" done to make sure animals being sold where "safe".

The thought of being evaluated like a common dog made Neal want to bite this "evaluator" in the leg just to see what would happen, but he refrained from doing so and obediently followed him back to the warehouse. The evaluator gave the briefcase man from the ranch a couple of papers and left.

When time came for the auction, he lay glumly in his cage and didn't respond to anything even as people stopped by to peer in at him. He didn't really want to play dog for these humans and it was late enough at night that he was ready to sleep. To dream of his pack, his home, and of Kate.

"I want more information on this one." Neal glanced up at the voice right outside his cage. The man standing there was tall, muscular, and dressed in a middle class business suit. He sounded gruff, but when he turned Neal could see that his eyes where soft. He felt his ears perk a bit, curiosity peaked.

"Well, he's a half wild Dire Wolf. Got him from a trainer out West. He's partially trained, just needs a little bit of finishing up. We've had a vet clear him of diseases; he's been chipped, and vaccinated. No behavioral problems." The young man reached for a nearby leash and opened the door. After the leash was secure, Neal hopped out reluctantly and stretched.

He stood still while the man felt him over, jumping only slightly at a sudden investigation of his groin. Then he was placed back in his cage and the man moved on. He was taken out several times over the next few hours, and then the crowds of people – there where way more than he expected to be honest – moved off to another room.

One by one the other wolves were taken away until finally it was his turn. He was led out onto a platform, where he was told to "sit" and "stay." He complied as someone started shouting out numbers in a nasally voice. Neal gazed around at the crowd as the nasally voice called out numbers. He saw men and women, though the men outnumbered the women five to one, and they were obviously rich and obviously middle to low class. He even recognized a fence he used to work with, though the man didn't seem to recognize him.

The first man to study him, the man with the rough voice and the soft eyes, was one of the bidders. As the numbers rose bidders dropped off until it was this man and another, one who Neal had thought seemed cold. In the end, it was the man with the kind eyes that won.

The auction ended on that note and Neal was pulled off the stage. The man meandered over as the auction broke up. Bills where swapped for papers and Neal was handed over to the man that would be his new owner. The man was quiet as he led Neal to a pretty nice looking SUV. The trunk area, Neal discovered upon jumping inside, had been covered with a soft cloth and a set of parallel bars separated it from the front main area. Neal lay down as the car began to move. The drive was quite long and when Neal popped back up he recognized the outskirts of New York City. The car pulled into a long driveway, through a gate, and up to what had to be a miniature mansion.

The man disappeared inside for a minute before he returned holding a thick collar. Trailing behind him was a petit woman and a young girl. His family. Neal glanced longingly at the closed gate, thinking of his pack and Kate. The trunk door opened and the man grabbed at his leash. "Stay." Neal obeyed reluctantly as the collar he had worn since his capture came off, replaced immediately with the one the man was carrying.

Almost instantly his hopes were dashed as he recognized the little black box on the new collar. That meant there was either a perimeter fence or a remote, or possibly even both. He wouldn't be escaping from here, either. He was in no hurry to test the force of the shock, after all. The man stepped back and motioned for him to jump out, and Neal complied.

"Is it safe?" The woman asked nervously when all four paws hit the ground. Neal turned to study her, and she gripped the child closer.

"He has been tested and partially trained, Molly. He's safe." The man replied. Neal instinctively reacted to her fear by lowering his head submissively and wagging his tail – a mixture of wolf and dog behavior that he hoped would make the woman, Molly, feel safer. "Go ahead and put Jenny down, say hello to him so he learns your scent."

"Are you sure?" Molly asked, still uncertain. Neal immediately dropped to his belly and Molly set the child down. No matter his feelings on his confinement, or his plans to escape, he would never hurt a child - or an innocent adult for that matter. He stayed in the down position as the little girl, who could only be three or four, approached him holding her mother's hand.

For several minutes he let his tail wag softly as the little girl and her mother patted him on the shoulder and under the chin. "Never reach over, he might feel threatened." The man was saying. Neal forced himself not to react as a booted foot nudged his side until he was rolled onto his back. It was very difficult for him to lay passively – wolves only rolled over to show submission, and though he was by no means confrontational Neal was also not submissive to people. He rolled only for greater members of his, or another, pack and for his alpha.

But the motion seemed to placate Molly, and the little girl giggled as his paws twitched in the air. Even the man smiled. When they pulled back he rolled onto his stomach. "All right, it's just about bedtime so let's get him inside."

"He's going to stay in the house?" Molly asked.

"Only until I know he's learned the boundaries." The man soothed.

"But John…."

"He's very smart, honey, not like a regular wolf or dog. He'll be outside and doing his job within the week." John continued. Neal got to his feet at John's gesture and followed the small family into the house. "Heel." John said as they moved. Neal abandoned the fleeting thought of curling on the rug by the fire and followed the man throughout the house.

By the time they had put the girl to bed, Neal had been everywhere. He knew the house as well as he knew his pack's territory. When he was released from the heel he took advantage of the roaring fire and stretched out right in front of it tentatively. "I still don't know how you talked me into this." Molly said as they settled behind him on the couch.

"Molly, we talked about this. We need the extra security and decided that an animal with human intelligence would be better than a regular dog." John said softly. "He's semi-trained, which, in that world, means he displays animal behaviors but silently understands what is asked of him. He shouldn't display any overtly human behaviors, so it won't be as odd as if he would."

"What do we do with him when we go on vacation?"

"That isn't even for another few months!" John laughed. "He'll stay behind to protect the house, and I'll have someone come feed and water him. Maybe my nephew would want to do it." That seemed to be the end of conversation, so Neal slipped into sleep.

The next morning, after Molly left with Jenny for school, John got down on one knee in front of Neal. "I don't expect you to respond to me, but I suspect you understand. I don't expect you to fight anyone to the death but I'm hoping you'll alert us if anyone strange enters the property. We've had a lot of burglaries in the area, including this house – these people don't seem to be phased by our security systems." Neal didn't respond, so John continued. "I just want my little girl to be safe. Can you do that?" Neal thumped his tail in response and John laughed. "Good boy!"

That morning he led Neal around the perimeter – the collar let Neal know when he was close to the boundary wire with a little beep. By that afternoon John had set up a rather fancy looking dog house with an automatic water unit that heated or cooled the water depending on the temperature outside. Neal was also relieved to find that he would be fed real meat – he wasn't domestic, so his system wasn't turned to digest kibble like a dog. It would keep him alive but raw meat would give him the nutrition he needed.

When Molly and Jenny returned home that evening, Neal was waiting for them at the garage. Any domestic dog may have rushed the car and likely been hit. He barked a few times and wagged his tail like the dog he was pretending to be, but didn't rush at the two. He let Jenny come to him – with him standing, she barely reached his shoulders!

Over the course of the next few weeks Neal fell into a routine. He would wake up and greet John at the back door for breakfast, then he would "say goodbye" to Molly and Jenny when they left for work/school. He would accompany John on a morning run before the man left for his own work. He wouldn't see anyone again – except maybe a gardener – until dinner time. He would greet Molly and Jenny at the garage and sit outside the back door until it was time to greet John. He would have his dinner, play fetch with Jenny until bedtime, and then he would be allowed inside for a little while before going back out to his insulated/cooled doghouse.

The only time he could figure was suitable for an escape was during his morning run with John. The rest of the time he was on the collar, and he just couldn't force himself to see if the zap was as convulsion-triggering as the one at the ranch. Every time he heard that warning beep he would freeze, the only direction his body let him go was away.

So he bid his time. Regained his strength. It wasn't as if it were a bad place to stay temporarily – between the running, playing with the little girl, and Molly brushing out his coat the get rid of the molting it wasn't at all horrible. If he had been a rogue or lone wolf then he might have wanted to stay. But he had a pack to return to and a mate to find.

When he finally felt ready to make a break for it, he was dismayed to find that he would have to hold off a little bit longer. Instead of John appearing in sweats for his morning run on the day in question, he appeared in casual jeans and a sweater and got down on one knee. "We're going to go away for a little while." He spoke. "My nephew will be coming over to feed you and brush you. I want you to keep an eye on the place, you hear me?"

Neal understood the concept of vacation from his time spent as a human – but he didn't have to like it now that he was ready to escape. He whined as John packed up the SUV and pouted. Molly was the only member of the family to actually show some compassion as she hugged his neck. But they still left, so Neal had no choice but to return to his house with a huff to finish off his breakfast bone.

The nephew, whom Neal had met only once before, showed up at dinner time in a beaten up sedan. Neal wrinkled his nose at the thing as it belched smoke and came to a stop. He sat patiently by the garage as the kid, Devon if he remembered correctly, stepped out. Keen eyes narrowed in on the passenger side, though, as a second kid also got out.

"Whoa, you weren't joking when you said he was loaded! And take a look at that dog!" Neal hadn't met this guy before, which meant he wasn't on the 'welcome list', but he had arrived with Devon. Neal wasn't quite sure what to do so he got to his feet and let out a couple of warning barks that had the stranger jumping back into the car.

"Stop it, Ronan!" Neal quieted. "Mark, get out here. He isn't going to do anything to you." Mark eventually exited the car, but Neal could smell his nervousness. "We just have to feed him."

"We're not staying? Man, this place probably has HD and shit." Neal eyed the brown paper bags Devon pulled from his trunk. Whatever was in it didn't smell appetizing. "Hey, we could so totally meet Angus here!"

"We're not doing that on my uncle's property!" Neal followed the bickering pair to the house and slipped in behind them. "He's probably got cameras and shit recording everything." The bag was dropped onto a counter.

"Cameras can be turned off. We need a place like this if you want to seal the deal." Neal's ears perked. He sat himself by the back door unobtrusively and waited, wondering what these two were talking about. "Angus won't do shit with us if he thinks we're dirt poor."

"Mark, we ARE dirt poor." A plastic dog bowl was taken out of the bag and Neal suddenly had a bad feeling about the rest of the contents. "But you're right. I'll see what we can do about the cameras." Neal grimaced as cans where pulled out. One was opened and the contents poured into the dish. The dish was then dropped unceremoniously on the ground. "Eat up, Fido."

"Let's check out the TV." Neal grimaced in distaste as the kids took off to the living room, leaving him with a bowl of disgusting slop. He quietly hopped his front paws onto the counter, only to find more cans of the slop in the bag. Leaving it all behind, he went to the door leading to the garage and let out a deep bark.

"Shit!" The kids must have forgotten about him. Neal chuffed. When Devon and Mark appeared he gave them a pointed look and then pawed at the door. "Oh, hell no."

"What, man?"

"Uncle feeds it meat and stuff, but there's no way I'm touching that shit. You can eat what we gave you or go hungry." Devon said with distaste, before turning and walking away. Neal eyed Mark but he was of no help, he just shrugged and followed his friend. Neal sighed – he would go hungry, then.

John and the family would only be gone for a week, or so he hoped, he wouldn't starve in that short time.

TBC


End file.
